The Will To Change
by AFlawInCourage
Summary: In the kingdom of the Mad King an alliance is formed between the Targaryens and the Starks. The charming prince and wilful winter rose are forced by duty and family to do something neither wants. Lyanna once said that love is sweet but it cannot change a man's nature. Maybe she's right but for Westeros sake one must hope she is wrong. AH RhaegarxLyanna. Eventual HEA.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

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Lyanna Stark is said to hold the beauty of a winter rose. Not like the maiden of Casterly Rock, Cersei Lannister whose fair hair and green eyes hold the glimmer of gold that the Lions are famous for. Nor is Lyanna's beauty like that of the Tully girls with rich auburn hair and bright blue eyes like the rivers. No, Lyanna has the harsh beauty of the North. Her skin is pale like the eternal snow that surrounds her home, Winterfell. Her hair is dark not unlike the color that the Brothers of the Wall are fond of. Her eyes a striking grey that resembles the glaciers only a few Northern men have seen. But in physical beauty can only go so far, it is the spirit that dwells within Lyanna that has all men travel North to seek her out. The wild spirit of the North they call it, and justly so for in all her years, Lyanna Stark has never done anything that she does not give her consent to.

But it is a different time in the kingdom of Westeros. It is known that one can never refuse a king, especially a mad king like Aerys II. The cowardly king fears the power of Tywin Lannister who the king believes to be plotting to steal the seat of his son, Rhaegar. The mad king believes that only an alliance with a powerful family may bring enough force to make the Lion fear the Dragon. And what family is more powerful and loyal than that of House Stark. The northmen are considered to be like the beast that their liege lord shows as his sigil. As loyal as wolves, the lot of them but loyal to their lord not their king. In these perilous times, words and parchment cannot be trusted to hold an alliance. Only through blood can the mad king ensure the support of the Starks and the full power of the chilling North.

Rhaegar Targaryen the crowned prince and heir to the iron throne of Westeros. To the smallfolk he is charming and witty, the people's prince. He carries the looks of his dragon lineage, silver hair and violet eyes. He is tall, strong, and carries all the characteristics one would expect of a prince. What many do not know is that his smile hides a darkness not even the harshest of dragon's fire may brighten. Yet he moves on, living for his people doing his duty as a prince.

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AN: Hello everyone, this is my first ASOIAF fanfic. I'll continue writing this story as long as I have the time to write. Hopefully I'll be able to keep a schedule and post maybe once per week. We'll see. This story will be un-beta'd because I can't find one willing to work with me. Any suggestions will be considered. R&R!


	2. Chapter 1

LYANNA

Winterfell. The home of the wolves. The Starks have ruled the North for centuries until Aegon and his dragons gave us no choice but to kneel and swear fealty. For our peaceful surrender Aegon granted us the lands we already held and the title of Wardens of the North. We have served faithfully under the Targaryen kings, serving their justice to all deserters, poachers, and everything in between as the northern men do. Honor-bound they call us. My father, Lord Rickard Stark, is no exception.

"Lyanna!" Lord Rickard called. The dark spring-warmed walls of Winterfell carried the sound of his throaty voice. The sound distracted me until the pain I felt on my left shoulder brought me back to what I was doing. I swung my wooden sword hard to the right carefully forming a soft arc while I transfer my weight evenly between my feet. Benjen moved his torso back in time to evade my sword. He lifts his wooden sword and tried to hit me on my right shoulder but I dodged and quickly parried by striking the flat of my blade against his back. I turned swiftly and kicked the back of his knee. Benjen grunts as his right knee comes in contact with the hard stone floor. He tried to stand but my blade sat prettily under his chin. I dropped my sword and helped him up.

"You owe me a favor, Benjen" I jest. My littlest brother loved sword fighting with me and was never afraid to hurt me unlike my other brothers especially Ned.

"That I do, sister. I hope it ain't anything embarrassing. You know father will be mad if he has to punish me again for something _you _had me do." He quipped. His smile betrayed the tone of his voice. "You better go, I heard father calling you," he said.

"Well then," I answered with a smile on my lips, "I mustn't keep our lord father waiting".

I gathered my things and quickly set course towards the watchtower where I know father likes to be this time after midday. I run fast past the godswood and across the tower of wheat that stores our grains. The people around me stop as I rush by greeting me, "milady", even though I have told not to since I learned how to speak. I was never a true lady and my lady mother detests me for it. The leather tunic I wore moves tightly around my chest and my breeches cling hard to my hips. It seems I've grown since I've last received clothes. Mother tells me that I'm a woman grown now, ready for marriage and children. I never gave a thought to marriage. All my time I think of riding a horse through the wolfswood, beating Benjen at melee, and making every archer west of the Narrow Sea cry as my arrows fly true every time it leaves my bow.

"Father, I'm here!" I shout upwards. Father looks down from his high tower. His face was slightly wrinkled and his beard shows a mixture of black and silver but his grey Stark eyes were as fierce as the direwolf on our sigil. His face contorted to a shape I knew too well. He was angry. He suddenly disappears from the tower window and I hear him shoving his way down the old worn steps. I prepare my excuses but I know I haven't long before he reaches me. Maybe my I'm-your-only-daughter-look would help appease his rage.

I heard Brandon's voice mix with father's when I go inside the tall structure. "Father, this is madness you know she will never agree to this", I heard my eldest brother say.

Father replied, "I know she won't, Bran, but we haven't a choice. What the king wants the king gets." His voice didn't sound of fury anymore but that of wild concern.

The sound of their steps grew closer as I sat on an old bench near the tower's entrance to the adjoining kitchen. I saw Brandon first. His hair was long and had a lighter shade than Ned's or mine. He was wearing a light colored leather tunic and dark breeches. Over his shoulders was a cape made of direwolf fur, black speckled with grey, white, and brown. He was about to say something to father when he sees me. His eyes went down to his boots as if they were more interesting than his only sister. His mouth was tight and his expression unreadable. Father soon followed my brother who was also wearing the same expression. Lord Stark and his heir were silent for a moment until finally one of them spoke.

"My dear, Lyanna we have much to talk about come we must go to the solar where your mother is. I feel like I need her to be with me when I tell you the news I've received from the capital" father said softly.

I debated on whether or not it was worth asking Brandon what our talk was going to be about but decided not to so I just nodded softly and walked behind father. In all my years, this has been the first time I've ever seen my lord father look so defeated. What news has he received to feel anger one moment and sadness soon after. _Dark wings, dark words._ I hate those words but that doesn't make them any less true. I felt coldness surround my face and not the comforting kind that I feel when I ride my horse, Belfast, with Ned.

We quickly reached the solar and I saw mother fidgeting with her hair. Unlike father, age seems to agree with my mother since no touch of silver can be seen through her long locks. Her face was like Benjen's, softer unlike father, Brandon, Ned, and myself. She fixes her thick green gown while she stands to greet us. She sees father's gloom expression and her eyes seemed to darken.

"What is it, husband? Why do you wear that scowl I hate so much?" mother affectionately says. Father places her hand on mother's lower back and releases a huge sigh. Ned and Benjen walk in to the solar as father asks us all to sit. Ned whispers something to Brandon but father spoke before Brandon could respond to whatever Ned whispered.

"The Targaryens have always taken what they wanted even at the cost of the misery of others. Only a few such as Baelor the Blessed have earned the thanks of the people. The past centuries our family has always been at the service of the realm and in turn, our king. It is our duty to serve and guard the north with all the strength we have and sometimes that means sacrifice" father spoke.

"What does that have to do with anything, father?" I asked.

He lifts up a piece of parchment. I see the broken seal of the three-headed dragon, the sigil of House Targaryen, on one side.

"I received a letter from our king. He _asks _us to prove our loyalty to the crown. He is demanding a wife for his heir, Prince Rhaegar. A wife of Stark blood." father spoke.

_She will never agree to this_. Brandon's words. No. Gods please no.

"NO" I said firmly. "I will not be a pawn in your game of thrones."

Benjen looked at me with wide eyes. Ned was as silent as always. Mother tried to grab my hand but I pulled it away quickly.

"LYANNA YOU WILL DO THIS IF NOT FOR ME THEN FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND YOUR LADY MOTHER!" father shouted with all the force of the North.

I couldn't take it. Father never shouted at me like that. I stood and ran for the only place I know I can find peace in this bloody castle.

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BENJEN

Father promised us that we would all wed for love or not wed at all and here he is feeding my sister to the dragons. Wolves cannot survive below the Neck. It is known. And my sister is the most wolf-blooded of us all. Brandon was lucky; he found his ladylove early on and in a great house as well. I'm afraid I will never find it and that is why I intend to join the Night's Watch. Only Lyanna knows this for I only trust her.

"I told you she'd never give her consent. Lyanna's the most stubborn high born in all of Westeros", Brandon says.

"But what can we do? The king demands her for the prince. I'm afraid I can't keep my promise to her even if I wanted to, Brandon. If I don't give Lyanna I don't know what we can do to stop him if he forces this on us", father replied.

"She is not an object to be given!" I shout, "She is your daughter and a Stark of Winterfell. She can't be queen because what queen prefers driving a sword through someone's body than pushing a needle through a cloth".

"What do you want me to do? Declare war against the Targaryens because my daughter doesn't want to marry the prince? Ben, if I raise my banners, my men will only laugh and never support us. She will do this for the sake of our family. For honor. For the peace of the bloody realm" father said.

"If we don't raise our banners, I'm afraid the Baratheons will" Ned said.

"What do you men, Eddard?" father questioned.

"Robert Baratheon, my fellow ward who was fostered with Lord Arryn, fancies Lyanna. He told me he wanted to ask you for Lyanna's hand. I told him it was a folly since Lyanna will never marry a man like Robert but he told me that he'll raise his father's banners and wage war if it would mean he could get Lyanna. Robert never jokes about war, father," Ned answered.

"Better to war against the Stags than fight a war against the Dragons and possibly the entire kingdom" mother said. Everyone in the room was silent.

"Ben, I know you're close to Lyanna. I need you to convince her to at least consider marrying Rhaegar. Tell her what it would mean if we don't comply. Tell her I'm sorry" father said.

"I'll try to make her listen but you apologize yourself" I said. I stood up and walked quickly to the godswood.

When I reached it, I saw my sister kneeling in front of the sprawling white tree with blood-red leaves. Her hands tracing the solemn face carved into the trunk. Her face was quiet and serious. I walked slowly and sat beside her with my back against the cold wood.

"I can't do this, Ben. I can't marry someone I don't love. Father promised me, promised us that we would marry on our own terms. Why is he doing this to me?" Lyanna cried.

"Ly, father doesn't want to do this as much as you do. You know he hasn't a choice. Now what I'm about to say will sound really selfish but I have to say it. Ly, you have to do this or else we could lose everything we have. Winter is coming and we won't survive it if you don't do this" I said.

"The Starks have always survived the winter, Ben" Lyanna replied.

"Not without sacrifice, sister" I answered back. I stood up and left Lyanna to think. I know it was selfish of me to say that to her but only she can fix the problem were in but at what cost I fail to see.

LYANNA

What Benjen said was true. Father can't change the king's mind as much as I can become a direwolf. _What the king wants the king gets_. Especially a mad king like Aerys who'll probably burn everything in his path to get what he wants. The safety of Winterfell and my family are worth more than my happiness or my freedom. If my great ancestors bent their knees to save the north from destruction at the cost of their title then surely I can marry a prince. Who knows, maybe I can learn to love him or maybe I can learn to become a direwolf.

I placed my hand on the tree and sent a short prayer to the gods of my father. I stood and walked to our main keep. I see father and mother holding hands as they discuss what needs to be done before the summer ends. I cleared my throat and my lord father looks to me.

"Father, for our family I will do what needs to be done" I said quickly.

A smile was plastered on my lady mother's face. "My sweet Lyanna, soon you will be a princess then after that a queen"

"My dear daughter, know that I am sorry to force you into marriage. I thank the gods daily for giving me a daughter as strong as her brothers and as mighty as a direwolf. We will leave on the morrow as soon as dawn breaks. The king asks us to stop at Harrenhal to join with his men as well as for a tourney. I already talked with your brothers and your mother. Ned and Benjen will join us in King's Landing until your marriage" father said.

"Brandon will not join us?" I asked.

"No, there must always be a Stark in Winterfell" father answered.

Oh if only that Stark was me.

I left the main hall and walked up to my room. One of my mother's handmaids was there waiting for me.

"Eisha, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Lady Stark asked me to wait for you here to help you pack your clothes, milady" she replied sweetly.

Of course my mother would anticipate me agreeing with father. I helped the poor girl pack my clothes but I noticed that she only packed gowns and dresses. I tried to hide a tunic between one of the darker colored gowns but she pulled them out before she packed it in my trunk. After we were done arranging my clothes, she left. With Eisha gone, I packed my tunics and breeches. Damn my mother to the Seven Hells if I couldn't wear what I want.

I went closer to the drawers and looking glass that was setup on the corner. I opened the topmost compartment and pulled out my favorite gift given to me by my eldest brother on my fifteenth name day. My sword. Well it's more of a dirk but my blade is my blade and I couldn't ask for more. I have yet to name it because it has not done anything to make it memorable. Unless hitting your brother counts then maybe I could name it Brother Beater. Benjen would like that. The thought of my brother got me thinking of the inevitable occurrence of me having to leave them and probably never see them again.

I placed my sword in my trunk and closed it with a thud. To morrow, I leave my family behind and head to a place filled with vermin and dragons. _Wolves don't survive south_. I have to stop thinking that I will be a wolf since after all this is through; I'll be a dragon.

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**AN:** Well there you have it, folks! Chapter one done. Next chapter will focus mainly on Lyanna's travel south until Harrenhal. Suggestions on what things you'd like to see are welcome and even the name of Lyanna's sword. First three or so chapters will mostly be intro so please be patient. Please review!

Thank you to Hisan for your review, as you can see the chapter is longer :) Thank you to the few people who faved and added this story on alert. Til next time!


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